


Born of Fear

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Stingue [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Arguing, Established Relationship, Fear, Friendship/Love, M/M, Making Up, Misunderstandings, Promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 02:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: Words born of fear and anger threaten to drive an insurmountable wedge between them, but thankfully their friends are able to see things a lot more clearly than they can, and aren't afraid to point out the errors in their thinking.





	Born of Fear

**“Because you’re not strong enough!!”**

   Rogue froze as the words washed over him, the anger that had been fuelling him disappearing beneath a wave of hurt and he bowed his head so that no one could see his face. He could hear the gasps and whispers from the gathered mages who’d been watching the rare spectacle of the Twin Dragon-slayers arguing in the centre of the guild, and he curled in on himself as he imagined the expressions they must all be wearing at that moment. _Did they all think the same?_ The thought crept in, in the wake of the hurt and to his horror he felt his eyes beginning to sting and he bit his lip hard as he felt a sob welling in his chest. There was no way he could show weakness like that, not with those words still hanging in the air between them.

“Rogue…” Sting’s voice was soft and uncertain, a complete contradiction to the furious tone he had been using a moment ago, and Rogue flinched at the change. Was the other Dragon-slayer going to try and brush it aside? Offer apologies? He knew that Sting never said anything to him unless he genuinely meant it, and the urge to sob intensified as he realised that at least some part of Sting honestly didn’t think he was strong enough, even if had only come out in a moment of anger. Suddenly there was a gentle hand on his arm, and he jolted, finally lifting his head only to find himself staring into Sting’s warm blue eyes and the concern in the other’s gaze made something snap in his chest.

“Stay away from me,” he spat finally finding his voice, and he tore himself away from the other Dragon-slayer, staggering back a couple of steps as he stared wide-eyed at Sting who’d frozen in shock at the unexpected reaction.

“Rogue…”

“Don’t…” There was a dangerous edge to the Shadow Dragon-slayer’s voice now, and the Guildhall seemed to darken around them, and Sting took a cautious step forward, hoping to calm his partner before things got even more out of control but a growl rang out, and he halted again. Rogue met his gaze for a long moment, and the Guild-master swallowed at the emotions swirling in the dark eyes, and he was just opening his mouth to say something to try and reach the other when the other Dragon-slayer melted away into the shadows without another word.

“Rogue!”

****

   Natsu grumbled under his breath as he stumbled towards the door, it was just after midnight, and he had just managed to get to sleep when someone had started knocking on his door. It wasn’t loud, but with his sharp hearing it had been impossible to miss, and after a brief moment of debating whether to ignore it or not he had got up. A tiny part of him hoped that maybe Gray was back from his job a couple of days early, although the more logical part of his mind pointed out that the Ice mage would probably just have let himself in, waking Natsu up by climbing into bed and plastering his freezing body against the Dragon-slayer. He sighed and nearly turned back to return to bed when there was another tentative knock., and he forced himself to take the last few steps and open the door.

“What the…Rogue?” His grumpy snarl trailed off as he stared in surprise at the other Dragonslayer, sharp eyes noting the red-rimmed eyes and his expression softened slightly as his sharp nose picked up on the saltiness of tears. “Are you alright?” He asked cautiously as he realised that the younger Dragon-slayer was trembling slightly, uncertain of what to make of the sudden visit, especially as he had no idea how Rogue knew where he lived.

“Natsu-san…” Rogue’s voice was soft and hesitant, and he briefly looked up at Natsu before his gaze skittered away nervously, his hands twisting into the fabric of his cloak as he found the courage to speak up once more. “C-Can I come in?” He wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do if the Fire mage said no. He didn’t know that many people outside of Sabertooth, and going to Gajeel was out of the question at the moment because if Sting thought he was that weak, there was no way he could face the Iron Dragon-slayer.

“Sure,” Natsu replied quietly, still not having a clue what could have brought Rogue to his door but there was a broken edge to the other’s voice that made him unable to refuse, and he stepped aside and waved the other inside.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you so late,” Rogue mumbled as he stepped inside, relaxing slightly when the door closed behind him.

“It’s alright I was having trouble sleeping anyway,” Natsu admitted with a soft sigh, which was partially true as he had been finding it nearly impossible to drop off without the familiar comfort of the Ice mage lying beside him, and there was no way he was going to tell Rogue that he had woken him up. Not when the Shadow Dragon-slayer looked like someone had already stomped across him emotionally.

“Isn’t Gray here?” Rogue looked up in confusion, his nose twitching as he realised that the scent he had picked up on was rather faint and he glanced at Natsu just as a gloomy expression passed over the Fire mage’s face.

“No,” Natsu mumbled sulkily, before sighing and explaining quietly. “He’s away on a job, and I wasn’t allowed to go with him.” He gestured irritably down at the bandages that were wrapped around his abdomen, a souvenir from their last job which had landed him in the guild infirmary for a week and had resulted in a ban from taking jobs for at least another couple of weeks. Initially, he’d had no intention of heeding that command, but Gray, unfortunately, knew just how to convince to do things he didn’t want to do, hence his current situation of being home alone.

“Oh.”

“Come on I’ll make you a warm drink,” Natsu said more warmly, noting a faint shiver working its way through Rogue’s body and ignoring the quiet protest he guided the other Dragon-slayer through into the living room.

   Settling Rogue on the couch, he effortlessly got a fire going in the fireplace before bustling through to the kitchen, hoping that he actually did have something to make for a warm drink as he knew that he was long overdue for grocery shopping. Finally, he managed to dig out some tea that Lucy had given him a while back, and he quickly made them both a mug, remembering to make Rogue’s a lot cooler than he would take it. He had received numerous slaps to the head from his friends over the years for forgetting that fact, and he had a feeling that he didn’t want to do anything else to upset the other Dragon-slayer at the moment.

   Stifling a yawn he headed back into the living room, his eyes softening as he took in how the younger mage was huddled in one corner of the couch and he carefully avoided mentioning the fresh tear tracks that were visible on Rogue’s cheeks as he settled the mug down in front of him before nudging it closer.

“Here.”

“Thank you,” Rogue mumbled as he leant forward to retrieve the mug, his fingers curling around it with a soft hum as he felt the warmth seeping into his chilled body. Noting this Natsu settled next to him not sitting to close, but allowing his natural heat to spread out to cover the other Dragon-slayer, quietly sipping his own tea while he waited patiently for the other’s shivering to stop before finally allowing himself to ask the question he most wanted the answer to.

“Are you going to tell me what this is about?”

“I…” Rogue’s fingers tightened around his mug, and Natsu winced at the strength in the grip, half expecting the mug to shatter under the force of it. After a moment though Rogue sighed and settled the mug on the table, before adding softly. “Sting…”

“You argued?” Natsu asked cautiously, remembering that he had sounded like that the first few times that he and Gray had argued and he knew that he guessed correctly when the other mage stiffened before giving a tight nod.

“Yeah.”

“About?” Natsu asked quietly, unsure of how far he was going to be allowed to interfere, after all it wasn’t as though they were that closer although he certainly classed the other Dragon-slayers as friends. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two truly fight.” They bickered a fair bit from what he remembered, and even Erza had commented that they were very similar to how Natsu and Gray had been in the early days of becoming a team.

“Normally we don’t…” Rogue admitted with a sigh, glancing across at Natsu as he added softly. “It’s hard being apart, so we avoid arguing as much as possible, and when we do it is usually resolved in a couple of hours.” He was usually the one to leave, still afraid of what his shadows might do if pushed too far, but he had never gone this far before or for this long and he bit his lip at that thought. _Sting must be so worried by now…_

“So what happened this time?” Natsu finished the last of his tea, adding his mug to the table before turning to face the other Dragon-slayer, olive eyes narrowed as he noted the guilt and misery written across the others face and he kept his voice soft as he pointed out. “If you’re here it must be something more serious than normal.”

“We…” Rogue hesitated for a moment, normally their arguments were private and it felt like he was betraying Sting’s trust in a way to be discussing this with someone, especially someone who wasn’t even a member of Sabertooth. But he had no idea how to deal with this current argument, let alone fix and there was something in Natsu’s gaze that made him continue. “We were talking about the magical games. He’s refusing to put me on the team.”

“Why?” Natsu demanded he had been expecting it to be something minor based on his own experience with the arguments that he and Gray had, but that decision seemed out of character and incredibly foolish for the White Dragon-slayer. “I know he can’t compete now he’s Guild-master, but you’re one of his strongest mages, so it makes no sense to keep you off the team.” He had never had the chance to face off against the Rogue, but Gajeel had spoken at length about their fight, and he knew that the Iron Dragon-slayer had been impressed by the other’s strength although he carefully avoided having to admit that directly.

“He…said that I wasn’t strong enough…” It hurt to repeat those words, Sting’s angry voice and blazing blue eyes flashing through his mind and he clenched his hands. He had thought that he was strong enough to stand by the White Dragon-slayer’s side. That he was stronger than he had been, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“Really?” Natsu frowned, he had been expecting it to be something trivial that had been taken the wrong way, but it sounded more and more like Sting had actually been in the wrong and he sighed. Those were the hardest arguments to settle, and somehow he doubted that Lucy and Erza’s usual methods of locking them in a room until they resolved the issue would work. “Did you ask him why he said that?”

“No…” Rogue admitted with more than a hint of shame, but he hadn’t been able to bear the thought of hearing more words like that from Sting’s mouth.

   Natsu sighed softly, seriously they were a pair of idiots, not that he could really comment. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there had to be something more to this. If Sting had a proper reason for keeping Rogue out of the games, he was sure the more serious Shadow mage would have listened, but for Sting to say something like that - it implied that there was a more personal reason. Silently he cursed the fact that he hadn’t got to know them better as it would have made figuring this out a lot easier, and instead he narrowed his eye in thought. They had fought together well enough at the last Magical games, and it was because of Sting that Rogue had been able to fight back against the influence of the shadows. _The Shadows._ Olive eyes widened with realisation, and he leant forward even as he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Idiot.”

“Pardon?” Rogue demanded, torn between being startled by the sudden insult and offended and he glowered at Natsu, demanding that he explain himself and the Fire mage sighed as he forced himself to sit back calmly and explain what he meant.

“He doesn’t think you’re weak!”

“But…” Rogue protested weakly.

“He’s worried. No, he’s scared about what could happen,” Natsu explained gently cutting across the half-formed protest with ease and Rogue blinked as what the Fire mage was saying registered in his mind. _Worried? Scared? Then why did he push me away?_

“I…”

“Think about what happened last time you were in Crocus,” Natsu cut across him once more, his hands clenching in his lap at the thoughts of the last Magical Games. He had come too close to losing Gray back then, and he could kind of understand where Sting was coming from. If he had the power he might be tempted to try and keep the Ice mage out of the games this time, but thankfully for the state of their relationship that decision wasn’t in his hands. Blinking he turned his attention back to Rogue, sighing as he saw the honest confusion on the other’s face. “He came close to losing you back then, of course, he’s going to be reluctant to let you rush back there. Especially as he won’t be right there at your side this time.”

“But….” Rogue wanted to protest, but then he trailed off, _is that really why you said that Sting?_ They had never really talked about what had happened back then, at first it had been because there wasn’t time with the arrival of Dragons. Then afterwards they had been busy helping repair the city and sorting out the Guild, and with time it had become easier just to let it fade into the background. “He will still be there. He’ll be close enough if I need him.”

“Maybe,” Natsu allowed with a small smile, before adding softly. “But he might not be able to see that. The fear is blinding him to that fact, and he lashed out because of that.”

   Rogue was silent, unable to come up with anything to counter those words, had all this happened because of fear? Sting lashing out because he was afraid of what could happen to him, and he fleeing to Natsu’s because those words scared him, making him doubt how the rest the guild viewed him even though he should have known better. With a soft noise he lowered his head feeling the earlier urge to sob welling up once more, and he screwed his eyes shut, determined not fall apart like that in front of Natsu. Therefore he started violently when a warm hand came to rest on his shoulder, eyes flying open to find Natsu leaning over him with a concerned expression.

“There’s nothing you can do about it tonight,” the Fire mage point out softly, before glancing across at the clock above the fireplace and nearly groaning as he realised just how late it was. “You should get some rest, and then in the morning you can go back and sort things out.”

“But…”

“If you try right now you’re both likely to make it worse,” Natsu warned him, his lips twisting up in a wry smile as he added. “Trust me on this…” The first couple of times he had argued with the Ice mage he had rushed after Gray to try and make amends, but they were always still too worked up at that point, and they always ended up trading even harsher words and sometimes blows, and he wanted to spare Rogue that experience if possible.

“Okay…” Rogue agreed reluctantly, deciding to trust the Fire mage on this, after all, it was Natsu who had worked out why Sting had acted the way he had. When all he could see and hear were the angry words and expression that had been wielded against him.

“Good,” Natsu smiled warmly in relief before rising and offering the younger mage a hand, which Rogue expected with only a momentary hesitation. “Come on, you can sleep in Happy’s room as he’s away visiting New Extalia at the moment.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Natsu grinned as he tugged the hesitating mage after him, rolling his eyes slightly as he caught the other’s startled expression, did he really think he would toss him out at this time of night? Even if he had been so inclined, the others would have his head. “Come on, things will look better in the morning.”

****

   Sting had been awake the entire night, hoping that Rogue would reappear so that he could apologise and try to explain what he had meant to say. His partner had never managed to stay mad at him for more than a few hours before, and he had grown increasingly frightened that he had done something irreparable or that something could have happened to the other Dragon-slayer. It didn’t help that Rogue had taken off without Frosch, which meant that not only had he had to deal with an emotionally distressed Exceed, but that Rogue was also out there on his own.

_Rogue hates being on his own…_

   The sun had barely risen by the time that he headed for the guild, hoping that Rogue might have gone there if he didn’t feel ready to come home just yet. Despite the early hour, the guild hall was relatively busy, and he tried to ignore the whispers that followed him as he headed towards the main bar, unsurprised to find Rufus and Orga waiting on him, surprised that they hadn’t taken the opportunity the day before to yell at him about what he’d said.

“You look terrible,” Rufus commented with blunt honesty when he reached them, and Sting barely resisted the urge to lash out at the other man.

“Thanks,” Sting snapped irritably, rubbing at his eyes before glancing around the guild with a hint of desperation, searching for the familiar black hair and his shoulders drooped as he came up with nothing, before turning to look at the pair with pleading eyes. “Has Rogue come back?”

“No,” Orga replied with a frown, and the Dragon-slayer let out a dejected sigh, trying to hide the worry coursing through him at that news. Where on earth could Rogue have gone? He tried to ignore the small voice at the back of his mind which was unhelpfully providing him with any number of scenarios that could have occurred, each progressively worse than the last and his hands clenched into fists as he sank into the seat beside Rufus.

“Why did you say that to him?” Rufus asked with an unusually cautious edge to his voice, green eyes worried behind the mask as he studied the Dragon-slayer. “You two arguing isn’t that unusual, but I don’t think you’ve ever spoken to him like that before. It was rather harsh.”

“I…” Sting hung his head, knowing that he had been unreasonably harsh, but Rogue had been refusing to listen when he tried to explain his reasons for keeping him off the team and panic had sharpened his tongue. He hesitated for a moment, rather reluctant to answer when he hadn’t had the chance to talk to Rogue yet, and yet he couldn’t help but feel he owed them answers, and they had been there the last time as well, so they might understand. “The last time we were in Crocus.  I…”

“You nearly lost him to the shadows,” Orga finished for him as understanding dawned, and Sting paled at how easily he was able to say it before nodding.

“Yeah.”

“So?” Rufus asked after a moment, and Sting whirled around to look at him, gaping wordlessly for a moment before managing to find his voice, although it came out more weak and strained than he liked.

“So…?”

“You nearly lost him. Nearly,” Rufus emphasised that point, waiting until Sting seemed to have settled slightly before continuing. “The Rogue today has come a long from then, and I know that you’re not blind to that. So what was really bothering you?”

“Since when did you get so interested in my personal affairs?” Sting growled defensively, blue eyes flashing as he glowered at the Memory mage, magic beginning to crackle around him as his emotions surged once more.

“Sting!” Orga warned him.

“Sorry,” Sting mumbled, subsiding immediately and there was a faint hint of colour in his cheeks as he admitted quietly. “I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“I won’t be there this time…” Sting replied softly, his hands clenching at his sides as he forced himself to voice the fear that had been eating him whole since the announcement of the new Magic Games Tournament. “I’m not allowed to participate. If something happens during the games that he’d be participating in…” If he was a spectator, there was no guarantee that he would be able to get there in time to stop something happening, and he wasn’t convinced that his presence in the crow would be enough to help Rogue retain control of his shadows _. If I lose him now_ …

“Go after him,” Rufus ordered with a sigh, sharing a glance with Orga that was equal parts exasperation and fondness. No matter how far the Twin Dragons had come since joining the guild, or how mature they became in other matters, as soon as it came to personal issues they fell apart completely. “You’re only hurting both of you by being this stubborn. Apologise and then explain why you spoke like that, and try to explain it better this time.”

“But…” Sting protested weakly, and Rufus narrowed his eyes dangerously at him.

“But?”

“If you won’t do it for Rogue, or for yourself, then do it for the rest of us!” Minerva’s voice rang out from behind them seconds before her hand connected with the back of Sting’s head, making the Dragon-slayer yelp and lurch forward for a moment before he twisted around to glare at her, shrinking back as he took in her fierce expression. She might have softened recently, but she was still a force to reckon with, especially when she glared at him like that.

“M-my Lady?”

“You are our guild-master,” Minerva pointed out sternly, hands on her hips as she glared at Sting and he shifted uneasily under the force of her gaze. “You’re the main reason that our guild is becoming what it is now, and we need you to maintain that change.”

“I…”

“You’re our light,” She cut across him effortlessly, her expression promising him pain if he interrupted again, but then it softened as she pointed out quietly. “But if you lose your shadow then you’ll change, and the light will be lost, and Sabertooth will suffer.” She had never forgotten how he’d reacted when he thought that Lector was gone, and she shuddered to think what he would do if he ever lost Rogue.

“What…if he doesn’t forgive me? If he hates me?” Sting asked in a small voice, willing away the burning sensation in his eyes as he didn’t want to embarrass himself any further in front of them. Still, he couldn’t push away that fear. After all Rogue had never stayed away for this long before, and he had never spoken to the other Dragon-slayer like that before. _What if I’ve screwed everything up completely?_

“Idiot,” this time it was Rufus that swatted him over the head, and Sting twisted to glare halfheartedly at him for the action, although his expression softened at the next words. “He needs you just as much as you need him.”

  In all honesty, Sting wasn’t sure that he believed that claim. Sure he was one of the main reasons that Rogue had been able to drive back the influence of the shadows, but the other Dragon-slayer was growing stronger by the day and he knew that one day his light wouldn’t be needed any more and that scared him more than anything. However, he knew better than to voice that thought with the three of them watching him so closely. Besides as long as it remained unspoken he could delay it actually happening. Sighing he turned his attention back to them, realising that they were all staring at him with expectant eyes.

“But, I don’t know where he is…”

****

   Rogue had been disorientated to wake up and find himself in a strange room, and it had taken him a couple of minutes to remember where he was and why he wasn’t at home. He had been tempted to just curl up in a ball when the memory of Sting’s angry words had flooded his mind, but then he recalled what Natsu had said, and he forced himself to sit up, and there was a determined glint in his eyes. He wasn’t wholly convinced that the Fire mage was right about Sting’s motivations, but if there was a chance that he was. _I miss him_ … He hadn’t managed to get much sleep because he had been aware of how empty the bed was, and it irritated him to realise just how much he missed the other’s warmth, and there was a sense of relief as he slid out the bed and retrieved his thankfully dry clothes.

“Morning,” Natsu greeted him with a weary smile as he stepped into the kitchen a short while later, and he narrowed his eyes in concern as he glanced at the Fire mage before commenting bluntly.

“You look like you didn’t sleep at all.”

“I didn’t,” Natsu admitted easily before holding out a glass of juice, which Rogue accepted with a small frown and a mumbled thanks. “What are you planning to do?” The Fire mage asked as he turned away again, and it was clear that he wasn’t interested in talking about his lack of sleep, and Rogue sighed and took a sip of the juice as he tried to gather his thoughts.

“I’m going to go home,” he replied finally, and Natsu nodded, no surprise in his expression as he busied himself with the cooker and Rogue watched with a hint of trepidation, of all the things he could envision the other Dragon-slayer, cooking wasn’t one of them. “I-I’m not sure that things will be that easy to sort out, but I miss him…” He didn’t know why he had added the last bit, he usually tried to avoid sharing such sentimental thoughts leaving that to Sting, but he had a feeling that Natsu would understand.

“Things will work out,” Natsu reassured him as he glanced at him, and there was an understanding expression on his face which made Rogue relax slightly. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No,” Rogue hesitated slightly, but he knew that it would only make things more awkward if he turned up with the Fire mage in tow and he didn’t want to risk adding fresh fuel to the fire. Still, there was a small but genuine smile playing on his lip as he met Natsu’s gaze. “But thank you for the offer. You’re waiting for Gray to come home anyway aren’t you?” He was touched that Natsu would risk delaying his own reunion just for his sake.

“Yeah, but I don’t mind…”

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Rogue reminded him. Glancing pointedly down at the bandages and Natsu let out an irritated huff, before glancing down with blush as he turned back to his cooking and the Shadow Dragon-slayer let out a soft laugh the action reminding him of Sting more than he cared to admit.

**

   After a surprisingly delicious meal of waffles, which had Rogue swearing that he would be dragging Sting around for breakfast at some point, the Shadow Dragon-slayer took his leave as the need to fix things with his partner. Promising that he would let Natsu know how everything went, and resolving to do something to thank the Fire mage for putting up with him, he headed off, glancing back and noticing Natsu watching him somewhat forlornly from the front door he waved hoping that Gray would get back soon.

   He waited until he was out of sight before disappearing in Shadows, focusing on Sting as he always did these days when he immersed himself in the darkness like this. Even if the other Dragon-slayer wasn’t physically there, just the memory of his warmth and light was a talisman against the encroaching shadows, and as he set off, he couldn’t believe that he had doubted even for a second that he would go back or that they could fix this.

****

  Sting had searched everywhere that he could think of, hoping that now it was morning his partner would reappear but there was still no sign of the other Dragon-slayer. No one had seen him either, and given their guild’s reputation everyone knew who he was on about, so he couldn’t even comfort himself that maybe they had just missed Rogue. Although if he was hiding in the shadows, it was possible that they had. But Sting had no doubt that if Rogue was disguising himself in that way his sharp nose would have been able to pick up his scent, but there hadn’t been the slightest whiff of the other, beyond faint lingering traces from the past couple of days.

_Damn it, Rogue, where have you gone?_

   He was growing increasingly concerned that something could have happened, and he couldn’t miss the irony that his words might be the thing that had pushed Rogue into the very situation he had been desperately trying to avoid by keeping Rogue off the team.

   Defeated he headed back to the guild, not looking forward to facing the others again, but rationalising that if Rogue was avoiding going home, the guild would be the first place he would go, if…when he eventually reappeared. For that, he was willing to endure whatever looks might be sent his way, especially when it had been his fault, even if he had only been speaking out of concern for his partner. However, the moment he stepped into the guild he was assaulted by a familiar, beloved scent and his head shot up and relief flooded through him as his gaze landed on the Shadow Dragon-slayer who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the guild clearly looking around for him. Rogue had clearly sensed him as well as he turned only a second later, dark eyes briefly meeting Sting’s before glancing away.

“Rogue…” He breathed staring wide-eyed at the Shadow Dragon-slayer, finding himself frozen in place even though he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his partner. Rogue is safe…

“I-I’m back,” Rogue mumbled as he nervously avoided Sting’s intense gaze, and highly aware of the fact that everyone’s attention was fixated on them once more and he shifted uneasily, shadows curling around him as he gathered his courage before adding softly. “I guess we need to talk.” It had been a lot easier to be confident when Natsu was there, the Fire mage had just excluded confidence and belief, and Rogue was beginning to regret not accepting his offer to come with him.

“Yeah,” Sting replied, and Rogue was oddly bolstered by the fact that the other Dragon-slayer sounded just as nervous as he was feeling.

“So go and do it already!” Minerva ordered as she appeared beside them, only the hint of worry as she glanced at him revealing that she wasn’t as angry as she looked and Rogue offered her a tight smile before he shifted his gaze back to Sting as the other Dragon-slayer shifted nervously.

“My Lady…”

“Go,” She reiterated, and Sting nodded before cautiously moving towards Rogue, his cautious moves cutting Rogue as his partner had never been so wary of him before, but he couldn’t bring himself to reach out on his own. Their argument from the day before was echoing in his mind once more, and he swallowed hard, finding himself bracing himself for more hard words, although the rational part of his mind knew that there was no way the other Dragon-slayer would make the situation worse at this stage.

“Come on,” Sting said quietly, stopping a short distance away as though afraid to crowd him, and there was a faint tremble to his hand as he held it out before adding hopefully. “Let’s go home.” With a small smile and no trace of hesitation Rogue reached out and grasped the offered hand, relief flooding him at the familiar feel of Sting’s hand around his, the other’s magic brushing against his skin and settling his nerves.

“Yeah, let’s go home.”

**

   They were relieved to find their small flat was empty when they got back, the two Exceeds clearly still out searching or making themselves scarce in the belief that their Dragon-slayers would manage to find one another and want time to make up. Rogue quietly pulled away from Sting as they moved into the living room, immediately missing the warmth of the other’s hand in his.

“I’m just going to get into some clean clothes,” he explained as he caught the hurt expression that had flickered across Sting’s face, and some of the tension eased out of his partner’s face at his words as he nodded in understanding.

“I’ll make a drink. Have you eaten?”

“Yeah,” Rogue nodded, deciding not to mention Natsu just yet although he could see the curiosity mixed in with the relief at his response and his expression softened as he realised how worried Sting must’ve been. Biting his lip he turned and headed for the bedroom to change, feeling Sting’s gaze burning into his back until the door closed behind him, and he let out a soft sigh of relief for the brief break. As happy as he was to be home, to be with Sting, the conversation to come and the fact that they had never argued like this was still pressing in on him and he knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he knew that everything was resolved.

   Still, he didn’t waste any time in changing his clothes, dumping his old ones on the somewhat intimidating looking laundry pile, before squaring his shoulder and heading out to find the other Dragon-slayer. Sting was waiting for him on the couch, steaming mugs of tea in front of him and Rogue scowled as he realised he must’ve taken longer than intended, a thought backed up by the relieved expression that met his return. Quietly he moved across and sank down on the couch, maintaining a careful distance between them as he didn’t want to get distracted by Sting’s proximity, ignoring the slight pout that met his action as he reached for his tea.

“I was worried…” Sting admitted bluntly just as he took his first sip, and he cursed as he burnt his tongue, nearly spilling the drink as his head shot up to look at the other Dragon-slayer. Still, he couldn’t find it in himself to complain, as he couldn’t see the sincerity in the glittering blue eyes and he sighed and lowered his cup, murmuring a soft apology.

“I’m sorry…”

“Where were you? I looked everywhere in town…” Sting gripped his own cup tightly, the memory of that fruitless searching and the growing panic every time his hunches had failed too close to the surface at the moment, and he jolted violently as Rogue’s hand brushed his arm gently and he blinked as he glanced up at the other Dragon-slayer.

“I…” Rogue let his hand linger for a moment before pulling away, unsure of how Sting was going to take the next admission. “I went to Natsu-san’s.”

“Natsu-san’s?” Sting asked, sternly quashing the jealousy that threatened to well up at that response. He had known from the very start of Grand Magic Games that the Fire mage was claimed, but it had only been in his final battle when he had caught Gray’s scent that he had realised who his mate was. There was no way that Natsu would risk that bond, and there was no way Rogue would risk their bond either. He knew that but… “You went that far?” He asked instead with a frown, it was no short distance between here and Magnolia, even if Rogue had used shadows to travel and he glanced down at the thought that he had driven his partner into fleeing that far.

“I was hurting, and I knew you would find me if I stayed here,” Rogue replied, relieved that Sting didn’t seem to be focusing on the fact that he had sought out one of the other Dragon-slayer’s for comfort, his voice dropping to a whisper as he added. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Rogue…”

“He helped,” Rogue said softly, not wanting pity at the moment. He just wanted to resolve this, hating the awkwardness and tension that he could still feel between them. Catching the confused look that Sting sent him, he set down his cup and turned so that he was facing the blond head-on before continuing. “I wasn’t able to see clearly, but he could, and he said that you’re scared for me? And that’s why you said…” Even now he couldn’t bring himself to repeat those words, and even if they resolved their argument, it would be a while before he could forget them _. If I ever do_ …

“Yeah…”

“Why didn’t you just say that?” Rogue demanded, allowing a hint of steel to enter his voice now as he caught the other’s hesitance. Clearly, Sting wasn’t going to take the lead this time, but there was no way Rogue was going to back down this time, and his eyes were intent as he met blue eyes, silently demanding answers as the White Dragon-slayer visibly hesitated.

   Sting wasn’t sure what to make of the Rogue currently facing him, it was rare for his partner to be this assertive especially after a fight, but it was what he needed right now. Speaking with Rufus and the others had helped a little, but admitting his fears to Rogue was a daunting prospect. He always tried to look confident and collected in front of his partner, and even now he feared to show weakness, even though he knew that the Shadow Dragon-slayer wouldn’t see it like that. Unable to hold the intense gaze he glanced down as he tried to sort his thoughts out, there was no way that he was going to risk making the situation by saying the wrong thing again.

“Sting…?”

“The Last Grand Magic games…” He began hesitantly, his eyes dull as he stared down at his lap recalling everything that had happened. He couldn’t bring himself to hate what had happened after all their guild had changed for the better, and his relationship with Rogue had grown stronger. But…we nearly lost all that before we could gain it. “So much happened back then, and I nearly lost you to the shadows so many times.” They had never really spoken about what had happened then, neither of them ready to face the darkness completely, trusting in his light and their bond to hold it at bay if it reared its head again.

“But…”

“I know that I didn’t,” Sting interrupted finally raising his head to look at Rogue, and the Shadow Dragon-slayer was taken aback by the raw emotion in the other’s eyes. He was used to Sting putting on a cheerful face, regardless of how he was feeling inside and it scared him slightly to see him unguarded, but at the same time, it reassured him that he was hearing the truth. “I know that. We’re both safe, and our guild has grown since then, and we’ve made lots of new friends. But looking at the forms for the next games, and realising that I needed to choose our team…”

“It brought all the memories back,” Rogue finished for him, his voice soft and there was a small smile on his lips as he met Sting’s startled gaze. “It was the same for me, you know?” When he had first realised what Sting was looking at his first instinct had been to ask his partner not to enter their guild, to keep all of their friends away from the dangers they had experienced in Crocus last time. But he had been able to see the excitement amongst the other mages, their hope that they might have the chance to take their Guild back to the top and that had given him courage. While he was glad for their defeat last time, and the lessons they had learnt from them, he still wanted to take Sabertooth back to the top, and so he had stepped forward.

“Really?” Sting asked hopefully. It had been one of the things that had fanned his panic and irritation the previous day. It had seemed as though his partner was all for going, and it had hurt to think that he was the only one still being affected by what had happened back then. “But you seemed as excited as the others. You were so determined about going.”

“I wanted to prove that I had changed,” Rogue admitted softly, his hands clenching in his lap and shadows appeared briefly around them before he forced them to relax slightly. “That I wasn’t the same Rogue that fell prey to the shadows.”

“Rogue…”

“I could see that something was bothering you. I knew that you wouldn’t be getting that worked up for no reason,” Rogue continued quietly, remembering that he had noticed that Sting seemed unusually agitated from the very start, with no sign of the excitement or determination to win that he had been expecting to see, but he had chosen not to question that. “But all I could see was what I needed. What I wanted. I’m sorry.” It had been so easy to push all the blame onto Sting when he was blinded by his hurt, but now that he was looking back on it with a clearer head he could see that they were equally to blame.

“No,” Sting shook his head, his expression softening as he reached out to grasp Rogue’s hand, letting his light flare and chase off the last lingering remnants of shadow. “I should have explained my reasons, rather than saying something like that to you.” He couldn’t bring himself to repeat what he had said then, unable to bear the thought of seeing that pain in Rogue’s eyes again and he ducked his head once more as he mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

   Rogue glanced down at their entwined hands before letting out a small, watery laugh as he squeezed Sting’s fingers softly before teasing him gently.

“We’re both idiots…”

“Yeah,” Sting agreed with a warm laugh, reaching up to brush at his eyes with his free hand before raising his head to smile at Rogue, who found the last of his tension easing away at the sight of his Sting. “But, that’s not a bad thing, right?” Rogue let out a startled laugh, _of course, that’s how you’d react to that_ , he though before shaking his head unable to find the heart to disagree.

“No, it’s not…” He admitted before hesitating, while the tension had gone there was still one last thing that he wanted to make clear before they let this matter rest, he just wasn’t entirely sure how to put it into word. “But…”

“I will never say something like that to you again,” Sting said firmly, and Rogue blinked in surprise, gazing searchingly at the other Dragon-slayer, finding no trace of hesitation in the other’s expression and a genuine smile appeared as he nodded in acceptance. _I believe you_. Before he could do anything else Sting had leant forward, and the Shadow Dragon-slayer rolled his eyes slightly before meeting him halfway, melting into the kiss as Sting wrapped his arms around him and letting out a contented hum as he returned the hug. There were still more things to sort out between them, but for now…

_I’m home._


End file.
